THE AUCKLAND MUSEUM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17094, 25 February 1919, Page 6

THE AUCKLAND MUSEUM

WORK OF THE INSTITUTE,

RECORD OF PROGRESS.

INCREASE IX MEMBERSHIP.

The annual meeting of the Auckland Institute and Museum was held last evening. In the absence of the Mayor, Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., presided.

The balance-sheet showed that the total revenue of the working account, excluding the balance in hand at the beginning of the year, was £1678 13s 9d. This is a little under last year's amount, the difference being altogether due to a temporary delay in the payment of certain items of interest on investments. „ Members' subscriptions yielded £437 17s, against £420 last year, making the largest sum yet received from that source. The receipts from the museum endowment, consisting of rents and interest, amounted to £656 15s 6d, the previous year's contribution being £713 12s lid. The invested funds of the Costley bequest provided £432 17s 6d, the amount for the previous year being £453 18s Id. The total expenditure was £1717 6s 9d, somewhat smaller than last year's amount, which totalled £1763 lis 4d. . A sum of £200 was paid in final liquidation of the cost of fitting up the foreign ethnographic hall. The cash balanco in hand at the end of the year amounted to £127 7s 6d. The invested funds of the institute were increased during the year by £76 0s 2d, obtained mostly from the sale of some small endowments. The total amount stands at £22,945 8s Bd, almost the whole of which is satisfactorily placed in specially-selected mortgages or municipal debentures. . The report described It-he disabilities that at present limit the advancement of tho museum, and showed that the existing site was insufficient for present needs, to My nothing of future requirements. Details were given of the action that has lesulted in the acquirement of the Domain site, and allusion was made to its many excellencies and possibilities. The inclusion within the,museum of a'war collecti&i illustrating the gallant deeds and untold sufferings of New Zealand soldiers during the great war was urged, whilo finally it was suggested that there should be erected within the Domain a combined museum and war memorial collection, planned on such a scale, and equipped in snch a manner, as to constitute not only a full find permanent record of the war, but also a worthy homo for the treasures to bo housed in the Auckland Museum of the future. During the year 48 new members were elected, while 36 names were withdrawn from the roll. The total number on the roll is now 462, whereas not ,ono of the dbher societies incorporated with the New Zealand Institute has a members' roll of over 200.

The report and balance-sheet were adopted upon the motion of tho chairman and Mr. T. W. Leys. The election of officers resulted President, tiie Mayor, Mr. J. H. Ganson; vice-presidents, tho Hon. E. Mitchelsou and Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P.; council, Professors C. W. Egerton and F. W. Worley, and Messrs. J. Kenderdine and J. H. Upton, retiring members, were re-elected; auditor, Mr. S. Gray. A vote of thanks was passed to the curator and his staff.